Mistakes to Avoid When Meal Prepping

By Randi Morse

Meal prepping has become a way of life for a lot of people. And quite honestly, it's a great idea. Meal prepping allows you to create healthy lunches or dinners without having to spend time you don't have available during the week. There are lots of websites online that can give you great meal prepping recipes, but even those who think they have mastered meal prepping are still making some of these common mistakes.

Doing It All in One Day

There are groups on social media that boast "meal prep Sunday," but making all the meals in one day can lead to food spoiling long before you're ready. Making food twice a week is a much better option. Sundays and Wednesdays would be ideal, but as long as you make the meals at least a few days apart from each other, you're bettering the chance of the food staying fresh for longer. 

Not Cooling Fully

Have you ever had a hard time opening the container your meal has been prepped in? This is likely because you didn't allow the food to cool completely. If the food is still warm at all when you put the top on, condensation forms. The cooling then creates an almost vacuum-like effect, making it difficult, sometimes almost impossible, to get the lid open without making a huge mess. Always make sure that your food is completely cool before you put the lid on.

Not Adding Variety

When it comes to meal prepping, it's far too easy to fall into a rut where you make the same things over and over again. Variety is important for your body. Instead of prepping a complete meal, try cooking individual items and storing them separately. For example you could cook three chicken breasts and store each of them in a separate container. You can then make grains and store them separately, and vegetables as well. This way you can mix and match your ingredients creating different dishes throughout the week. 

The Wrong Size Containers

Most of the containers sold online that claim to be made just for meal prepping are actually too big. When you start filling your container you'll be more likely to try to fill each section of the container which means you'll be making more of a meal than you should eat. Try finding smaller, portion controlled containers if you're looking to ensure that you don't overeat. If you want to use the containers you have, try using measuring cups. This can help you prep the correct amount of food.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Humble, Tex.